Green light for Australia’s first blue carbon trial

The Sunshine Coast will soon be home to an Australia-first blue carbon project creating a thriving mangrove ecosystem, a healthier Maroochy River for everyone to enjoy and the potential for future income streams for landholders.

The Australian Government’s Clean Energy Regulator has formally registered the nation’s first Blue Carbon project in the Sunshine Coast’s Blue Heart, on the lower Maroochy River floodplain, following a rigorous research and application process.

What is blue carbon farming?

Blue carbon is carbon stored in marine and coastal ecosystems, such as seagrasses, tidal marshes and mangroves.

Rehabilitating and protecting marine and coastal ecosystems on registered sites by following approved methods generates carbon credits called Australian Carbon Credit Units.

These are a tradable financial product that can be sold to government or private entities to help meet emission reduction commitments. 

Carbon captured in this trial can also be used to help offset Council’s emissions, progressing its target to be a net-zero organisation by 2041.

What happens next?

Following the registration, Sunshine Coast Council will begin restoring estuarine wetland ecosystems by introducing tidal waters onto two Council-owned sites (6 land parcels) in the Blue Heart, totalling 165ha.

Mayor Rosanna Natoli said this Australian first project would pioneer the future of Blue Carbon nationally.

“This puts our region at the forefront of an emerging industry, and by generating our carbon credits locally we can enjoy the positive impacts,” Mayor Natoli said.

“This means a healthier Maroochy River with more fish breeding grounds, stronger biodiversity, protected flood storage, opportunities for our Traditional Custodians to care for Country, more tourism opportunities and places for our community to explore and experience nature.”

Division 9 and Environment and Liveability Portfolio Councillor Maria Suarez said Council would share learnings on the economic viability of blue carbon farming with other Blue Heart landholders interested in investigating the opportunity for their own properties.

“Cane farming has been a mainstay in the Blue Heart for generations, but with challenging market conditions farmers need new ways to generate income,” Cr Suarez said.

“The Blue Carbon Pilot Project is about nurturing opportunities for our landholders, for our local economy, for our community and for our environment, all contributing to a sustainable Sunshine Coast.”

Member for Nicklin Rob Skelton said the Miles Government was proud to partner with Sunshine Coast Regional Council and Unitywater on this innovative project.

“The Maroochy River floodplain is a critical flood storage area which is already experiencing the impacts of tidal inundation as a result of climate change,” Mr Skelton said.

“This project is leading the way in demonstrating how blue carbon can deliver multiple benefits to coastal communities, including generating alternative income, protecting vital habitat and threatened species, enhancing water quality and providing for cultural and recreational uses.”

What is the Blue Heart?

Blue Heart Sunshine Coast is an innovative partnership-based project committed to sustainable and adaptive floodplain management in the Maroochy River catchment.

The majority of the Blue Heart project area is privately owned with land uses including cane farming, cattle grazing and rural lifestyle.

Allowing tidal waters onto public lands in the Blue Carbon Pilot Project will not impact nearby private properties, as confirmed by a detailed hydrological report independently reviewed by the CSIRO.

The blue carbon collaboration in Blue Heart

The Blue Carbon Pilot Project has received $2.036 million in funding from the Australian Government’s Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water to deliver blue carbon ecosystem rehabilitation on public land.

The Queensland Government’s Land Restoration Fund has also contributed $360,000 in funding to support research at the blue carbon project sites, with researchers from four different universities partnering with Council to monitor and understand environmental, social and economic changes and benefits.

Blue Heart partners include Council, the Queensland Government's Department of Environment, Science and Innovation and Unitywater.

The two Blue Carbon Farming Trial sites both adjoin State protected areas, Council environment reserves and Unitywater’s Yandina Creek Wetland, strengthening an expansive conservation zone within the Blue Heart.

Unitywater Chief Executive Officer Anna Jackson said she was pleased to see Council restoring more areas to expand the strong outcomes achieved at Yandina Creek Wetland.

“By re-establishing the Yandina Creek Wetland environment through careful water management, we have been able to return vital plants and micro-organisms to the region which remove nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorous from our waterways,” Ms Jackson said.

“Thanks to these plants and micro-organisms, we have been able to remove an estimated 5.3 tonnes of total nitrogen and 0.5 tonnes of phosphorous from our waterways per year.

“Beyond the environmental benefit, we are saving our community millions of dollars over a 25-year period by making the most of these natural processes to go beyond compliance into environmental stewardship.”